Summon the will to end hunger

Marjorie Liggett, a College of the Holy Cross senior majoring in biology and anthropology, can be said to be among the most socially conscious young adults in the country.

This is in no small measure because of her Holy Cross educational experience, which promotes service to others as a path to self-discovery and educational excellence. Ms. Liggett, for example, is an intern in the college’s Student Programs for Urban Development, a community service organization with 46 outreach programs and about 700 members.

But despite being involved in various social justice initiatives, Ms. Liggett was overwhelmed by a documentary on hunger in America called “A Place at the Table.”

The documentary, which has drawn the interest of a number of congressional lawmakers and is available on demand, was screened with the sponsorship of SPUD at Holy Cross Tuesday night.

“I have always known hunger was a big issue, but after hearing the statistics in the film, I realize that it was even bigger than I had anticipated,” Ms. Liggett said after the screening.

Those statistics include as many as 50 million Americans relying on charitable food programs and one out of every two kids in the United States at some point on food assistance.

Directed by Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush, the film documents the impact of food shortage in the lives of three individuals — a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors for food, and a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by her sparse and poor diet.

More succinctly, Raj Patel, author of “Stuffed and Starved” and one of the experts providing commentary in the film, noted that “the reason people are going hungry is not because of a shortage of food, it is because of poverty.”

This point was echoed by Ms. Jacobson, who was at the film’s showing at Holy Cross.

She noted, for example, that obesity is linked to poverty, or as one of the film’s experts noted: “If you have a limited amount of money, you are going to spend it on the cheapest calories you can get and that is processed food.”

“Many people are aware of the obesity epidemic, but are unaware of the inextricable link between hunger and obesity, that many people who are obese are in fact malnourished,” Ms. Jacobson said.

Congressman Jim McGovern, who is also featured in the film, said he hopes it reinvigorates the country’s commitment to end hunger and poverty just as the 1968 CBS documentary, “Hunger in America,” opened the eyes of Americans to the impoverished status of millions of their countrymen and pushed the country to find solutions.

As a result of that documentary, he said, “we almost ended hunger in the 1970s.

“We came close to doing so, but we have backtracked. We are about to debate a farm bill in which Republicans are telling us they want to cut SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) by $20 billion.

“I don’t think people understand that words like ‘sequester’ and ‘fiscal cliff’ are about cutting programs for poor people. As we speak now, because of the sequester, food banks are shutting down across the country.

“Hunger is a political condition. We have the food. We have the infrastructure, and everything we need to end it. My hope is that when people see this film they will say to their elected leaders that we want you to solve the problem, not to make it worse.”

My guess, as exemplified by Ms. Liggett and many others like her, is the American people get it. The problem continues to be those congressional lawmakers, whether it is on gun control or help for the poor, who continue to place themselves above the will of the people.

CDL A DELIVERY DRIVERS Home Every Night! Needed for our Worcester Depot! Drive local - No more spending valuable nights away from your family! As a Direct Store Delivery Representative YOU have the opportunity to make a difference with our customers! Provide excellent customer service; interact in a positive manner with our customers; deliver our products to local stores. Be home every night! Work for a Company that has been around for over 80 years! Minimum of 3 months driving experience with CDL A/B; GED or HS diploma required; Must be able to drive a standard transmission. EEO/Veteran/Disability Growing Strong Since1933!